


Memories Lie

by The_Archives_of_Silver



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Canon Divergence, Character Death, F/M, False Memory Syndrome, Grief, Gwen was a camper, Hurt/Comfort, Mental Conditions, Trauma altered memories, mentioned - Freeform, the gwenvid is lighter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-05-26 22:53:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15011183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Archives_of_Silver/pseuds/The_Archives_of_Silver
Summary: When David spoke of Jasper, it was all wrong. Jasper didn’t make it. He wasn’t ok. He was gone.Gwen realizes what was wrong. False Memory Syndrome is rare. She never expected someone she cared about to be affected.





	1. Something Wrong

**Author's Note:**

> I’m back, babies

Gwen hated it when David talked about his time as a camper. Don’t get her wrong, she genuinely enjoyed hearing David talk about his youth! The way he lit up when he talked about how happy he was at camp was endearing if anything.

Just not this part.

Not because he told the story countless times. No, he didn’t really talk about it often. Once in a blue moon, really. That kinda surprised her, considering that’s when he quote unquote “truly fell in love with Camp Campbell.”

Not because his sunshine attitude about his time as a camper irritated her. No, she knew he had good memories and cherished them. It was to be expected.

It was because he told it wrong. The story was warped, twisted to a version was all sunshine, rainbows, and happy endings.

It wasn’t. It didn’t end happy. She was there. She knew what happened.

David didn’t seem to remember her as a fellow camper, signed up there by her parents for literature camp. She stayed to herself, only making a few friends. Well, one friend really.

She didn’t really care if he remembered her or not and surely didn’t mind him not recognizing her at all when she signed up to work at Camp Campbell. She didn’t recognize him either until she saw the picture he had put up on the bulletin board from his time as a camper and she connected the dots.

She was happy to not have to talk about their shared past with him the whole time. She wasn’t fond of her time at camp.

Not after Jasper.

She noticed the alteration in the story when David told the story to the campers for the first time, all around the campfire. At first she was completely horrified he would talk about the day Jasper had been killed, then confused as the story took an unexpected, lighthearted turn. Then she was hurt and bitterly angry at the ending, fingers curling into her shorts as she forced herself into keeping her mouth shut and not have an outburst over how wrong it was.

At the ending, Jasper was alive, he and David were jolly good friends, and everyone was happy. Except for Jasper, who left camp apparently after his title of “Best Camper” was revoked.

Gwen wanted to scream by the time David closed the story. It was all wrong! Jasper didn’t make it! Campbell didn’t even try to save Jasper! He had David brought back to camp, the boy quiet and visibly shaken to the core from what he had seen.

Jasper had died and Campbell didn’t do anything. Her only friend at camp had died.

That night, after the kids were ushered to bed, Gwen approached David.

“David, what was up with the ending to your little flashback story?” she asked, crossing her arms.

David, who was folding his beloved camp shirt/makeshift handkerchief, looked up at her in confusion. “What do you mean?” he said, standing up straight. “That’s how it happened.”

“David, you know what really happened to Jasper!” Gwen remarked incredulously. “Everyone does! All of Sleepy Peak does, for that matter!”

David’s expression shifted from confusion to concern, his pretty green eyes looking at her in worry.

“Gwen, what are you talking about?” he asked. “I was there. He went home as soon as camp ended. I saw him off. Are you feeling ok? Is something wrong?”

David had always been transparent to her. He was so expressive, the only times he hid his true feelings was when he was upset and didn’t want to bother anyone with his emotions.

Gwen was so close to snapping at him, a fleeting thought digging into her mind that it was some sick prank he was pulling.

She wanted him to admit the truth: Jasper was dragged off and killed by bears. The one friend she made at camp was dead and not off somewhere living his life.

But the look on his face stopped her. He was purely confused and concerned with her response, warm eyes clear and innocent. He was, at least in his own mind, telling the honest truth.

Then it clicked: FMS.

False Memory Syndrome.

Sometimes, when something traumatic happens, a person will subconsciously alter their memories, much like how a person would repress a memory after a horrible ordeal. In the case of FMS, they will have a completely different version of an event than how it actually occurred, sometimes their mind creating an event that never really happened.

A coping mechanism or the horrible effects of trauma that completely rattled the memory of a victim.

Gwen stared at him for a moment or two before steering her gaze away.

“It’s nothing, never mind,” she muttered, going to her side of the room, flopping onto her bed, and opening her laptop.

“Well, o-ok,” David said, a bit cautious of her sudden change of mood.

He merely brushed it off as Gwen just PMS’ing and went along his business, humming the camp song to himself.

Gwen clacked away at her laptop and got as much information as she could on False Memory Syndrome.

Her professor had skimmed over it during a lecture on memories and how they relate to psychology. Gwen had then thought not much of it and didn’t expect to see an actual case of it, especially in someone she was so close to.

She wanted to tell him the truth but she was afraid how he would react. Patients who received news like this all took it differently. She had no clue how David would react.

She only saw David angry a few times and he was actually intimidating when he was. His loud crying, initially irritating had become heartbreaking.

She could already feel the range of emotions he’d feel: denial, anger, sadness, and total emotional anguish.

She had to tell him the truth about Jasper. At first she supposed she could go on letting him believe it, letting him live the fantasy that Jasper was still alive but had lost contact with David after camp.

But Gwen couldn’t let David live that lie. He’d find out sooner or later and he’d be utterly destroyed if he found out another way.

What if he went searching for Jasper or run into his family somewhere? Not only would he find out the hard way that Jasper had died, he could potentially hurt anyone who knew him by just implying that Jasper was still alive.

David would never intentionally hurt someone, it wasn’t in his character to. Sure, he slipped up a couple times but he’s human. Maybe.

It wouldn’t be easy. She thought about it for days, the dilemma gnawing at her day and night. She didn’t want to hurt him but he needed to know.

Finally, Gwen readied herself for potential disaster and faced David.

“David, can we talk?”


	2. Bring the Truth to Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hardest thing Gwen had ever done was tell David the truth about Jasper's disappearance.

 

“Yeah, Gwen?” David asked, looking up from his photo album, a pleasant smile of greeting on his face.

 

From what Gwen could see, he was looking at the pictures of when he was a camper, blissful and happy. Gwen couldn't say she felt the same. She felt sick to her stomach, her chest tight with anxiety and insides coiling nervously in her gut.

 

Her hands tightened around her laptop, dreading what could happen next. She didn’t want to hurt him but he needed to know the truth. He deserved to know the truth, more than anyone else.

 

She steadied herself, taking a deep breath. It’s for the best. Best for him and everyone who knew Jasper.

 

“I need you to read this article,” Gwen said, pulling the album from his hands and opening her laptop for him to see the website she opened up days ago. The False Memory Syndrome Organization's website.

 

She set it down on the desk and crossed her arms. David’s sea green eyes shifted between her and the screen, turning his chair to face her laptop.

 

As he read the article, his expression shifted, changing from confused to almost anxious.

 

“Why’d you show me this?” David asked, looking up at her, feet shifting.

 

Gwen took a deep breath, eyes closing. Heaven above, give her strength.

 

“David, something was wrong with the story you told at the campfire,” she said, looking down at him. “It’s- It’s not accurate.”

 

David’s brow furrowed, confusion and a hint of indignation in his expression. He clearly didn’t like where this was going.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“David, Jasper died that day,” Gwen explained gently. “He was killed by bears.”

 

David stood up and for the first time Gwen realized how  _tall_  David really was. He towered over her, brows knit together as his anger became more apparent. For the first time ever, Gwen was scared of the man she trusted the most. She knew that he'd never raise his hand against her but she feared the emotional toll more than any amount of physical pain. All she could do was hope and pray he'd be reasonable,

 

“Gwen, if you’re playing a prank on me, I don’t think it’s funny,” he said, tone low and dreadfully serious.

 

“David I’m serious,” Gwen insisted. “I was there! I saw the paramedics, police, hounds, and rangers look for him! I was there when we received the news!”

 

“No, you weren’t!” David snapped, his voice rising. “You never went to camp! Stop lying to me! I don’t think this is funny so stop it!”

 

Gwen jumped back a bit when he raised his voice, She tentatively brought over his album and pointed to the group picture of the campers. There was a girl with big round glasses, dark red hair that reached her shoulders with bangs that hung over her nervous purple eyes. She was hiding between the other campers, a book held up to cover her mouth and nose. If it weren't for the situation at hand, she would have joked about what a dork she was as a kid.

 

David examined the girl and looked up to her, processing what she showed him.

 

“T-That was you?” he said quietly, voice hoarse. “You were that shy girl at camp? You were G.G.?”

 

Gwen’s heart clenched at the nickname. Jasper had given her that name and it stuck around camp. Pretty soon anyone who addressed her at camp called her that. She used to love that nickname. Now all it did was send a fresh wave of heart ache through her chest.

 

Gwen nodded, anxiously looking up at him from the album.

 

David stared at her, eyes wide and aspects completely disbelieving. His eyes hardened and his visage crumpled into one of fierce anger.

 

“Y-YOU'RE A LIAR!” David shouted at the top of his lungs. “IT’S NOT TRUE! IT’S NOT TRUE! HE’S ALIVE! I KNOW IT! STOP LYING TO ME!”

 

Gwen flinched away from him, holding up the old picture album to defend herself if necessary.

 

David wasn’t a violent person; she knew he’d never intentionally hurt her but he wasn’t emotionally stable at the moment. He must have felt his whole world collapsing and could possibly lash out, even physically. He, like anyone else in his shoes, could be unpredictable.

 

“David, would I ever lie to you about something this serious?” Gwen said quietly, hugging the book to her chest, prepared to block anything coming her way.

 

David looked conflicted for a moment, eyes flickering over her as his mind worked for a logical explanation. Frustration and distress bubbled to the surface and when he had no words to comprehend why, David stormed passed her, his shoulder bumping hers harshly.

 

“I-I’ll prove it to you!” he hollered, turning to face her with so much sheer anger in his teary eyes, it made her flinch away. “He’s alive! You’re wrong and I’ll make you see that! You’ll see!”

 

With that said, he slammed the door shut, Gwen shrinking away as the whole cabin rattled from the force.

 

She was left alone, album clutched tightly to her chest, and her heart feeling hollow and heavy all at the same time.

 

“What have I done?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still can't believe my fanfic still works within the canon. Now that's what I call a a much needed coincidence! The only divergence is that Jasper was mauled to death by bears.
> 
> Side note, my phone is being weird so updates and responses to comments and updates will be a tad bit slower!


	3. A Sanchez Never Cries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen couldn't blame David for his behavior. He was angry, hurting, and he felt betrayed. Hurt people hurt other, and Gwen had to admit it: It hurt bad. But she'd be damned before she cried over some guy.

 

 

David didn’t talk to Gwen for the next week.

 

In activities, he kept up his cheerful facade, bubbly and encouraging as usual. However, as soon as they were alone, his smile would drop harder than a lead block in water and he’d retreat to anywhere she wasn’t.

 

If she tried to speak with him she’d only have two cold responses:

 

“Leave me alone.”

 

“Just go away.”

 

It was literal hell for Gwen. It opened her eyes to just how important his presence meant to her. She missed his company, missed his smiles, and his annoying cheerfulness. She missed him. He acted as if he wanted nothing to do with her and it hurt. It hurt worse than anything.

 

It felt as if she had made herself out to be his enemy.

 

Despite her own heartache, she understood that David was going through something way worse. So she painstakingly composed herself and kept her emotions in check. A Sanchez never cries, she told herself. That's what papa and abuela always said. So she stuck to one of the strongest family mottoes she grew up with and she didn't cry. She didn't have that right.

 

David had the right to cry. He was going through the grief over the death of his friend all over again, only this time it had much, much more force. It was like finding out he had died recently. She understood, but not entirely.

 

Jasper’s death affected her differently. Gwen was young and didn’t grasp the concept of death yet. The only time she cried over him was when her mother painstakingly explained over the phone that Jasper wasn’t going to come back, no matter how much the officers searched.

 

She cried all night and pleaded that her mother took her home. She was terrified that she could reach the same fate as him and didn’t want to spend the rest of the summer without her friend.

 

She didn’t get to see how Jasper’s death affected David. He stayed out of activities and with the counselors, Greg and Darla for the short time she remained at camp. Her parents picked her up within two days and they took her home. She didn't see David again until she was 20.

 

Now Gwen wished she stayed. She believed she could have helped him, prevented this. Maybe it was the guilt talking or her emotions got the better f her logic, but she felt responsible.

 

She began considering that telling him the truth was a mistake. She just wanted things back to the way they were. She missed David and felt like she was truly alone.

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

Well, not entirely alone.

 

Gwen glared at Max, straightening up and sneering.

 

“Shouldn’t you be in bed?” Gwen grunted, crossing her arms. “It’s past the curfew.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Max waved it off, plunking down next to her on the pier. “I could ask you the same thing. Why you sitting out here moping? Did another one of you precious ‘werewolf husband’ characters kick the bucket?”

 

“I’m the adult here,” Gwen bit back. “I can stay out as long as I want. And I am not moping!”

 

“Pfft, you look sadder than a dog without a bone,” Max commented, jamming his hands in his pockets. “Or sadder than David for that matter.”

 

Gwen glanced at him, looking back out to the lake.

 

“You noticed?”

 

Max laughed. “I can tell his genuinely happy from his fake happy. Guy looks like Bonquisha dumped him all over again but he’s trying to be subtle about it.”

 

Guilt panged in Gwen’s chest and her arms crossed tighter.

 

“So what happened between you two that’s got you both moping?” Max asked, looking out on the lake to Spooky Island.

 

“Why do you care?” Gwen mumbled.

 

“I’m a sadist,” Max said bluntly. “I like hearing people’s troubles. Makes me feel better about my own crappy life.”

 

Gwen looked back onto the waters of Lake Lilac, the waves splashing at the shore. She wasn’t sure if she could tell him and possibly give him something to taunt her with or keep her mouth shut and continue to carry her burden alone.

 

Finally, she took a deep breath and her gaze shifted to her boots, feet swaying back and forth.

 

“I can’t give you all the details but David has a condition,” she mumbled.

 

“Uh, yeah, duh!” Max snickered. “Everyone knows that! Bet doctors haven’t figured out what it is.”

 

“False Memory Syndrome,” Gwen grunted, glaring at him slightly for his insensitivity.

 

Max’s mocking expression crinkled into one confusion and unfamiliarity with the term.

 

“What now?”

 

“It works differently for different people,” Gwen said. “For David, something traumatic happened and his mind, possibly to cope with what happened, made up this whole story where everything was ok.”

 

Gwen knew eventually Max would piece things together and figure out what story she meant. He was a clever boy.

 

Max looked back at her, eyes actually concerned.

 

“So David has this whole fake memory in his head? What does that have to do with you?”

 

“I was there when the incident happened,” Gwen explained. “It really impacted me and many others. I couldn’t let David go on believing in a lie when he could unintentionally hurt someone else. I told him the truth about what happened.”

 

“I’ll take he didn’t handle it very well,” Max guessed, looking out on the waters.

 

“He doesn’t want anything to do with me now,” Gwen mumbled, arms tightening around her with her face downcast. “He thinks I’m lying to him, like if I thought it was funny. He won’t talk to me, won’t be anywhere with me if he doesn’t have to. If he does say anything to me it’s always telling me to leave him alone and to go away.”

 

Max glanced at her, actually sympathetic for a second.

 

“I don’t know what to do,” Gwen continued, face sinking into her hands. “It sucks but I can’t apologize! Then it’d be like telling him I was lying! It’s the truth! I just want things back to the way things were! If only I hadn’t told him and kept my mouth shut-“

 

“David would keep believing lie and he would inevitably find out the truth,” Max cut through. “He would have resented you more if he found out the truth about whatever the hell happened and learned that you knew the whole time and chose not to tell him. Don’t think I actually give a damn, but if I were in his shoes, I’d rather hear it from someone who actually gives a damn about me than from someone who doesn’t.”

 

Gwen watched him as he spoke, still as a stone and actually touched.

 

“Thanks, Max,” she murmured, smiling a bit to herself.

 

“Whatever,” Max said gruffly. “This never happened.”

 

Gwen smirked, standing up. “Head to bed, ok? I’ll let you off the first activity since it’s late.”

 

Hidden behind a turned back, Max smiled to himself a bit.

 

“Cool.”

 

With that, he left for his tent.

 

Gwen watched him leave before heading back to the counselor cabin. She paused at the door and opened it, stepping inside. David was sitting at the wheeling chair, writing off checks for the bills. He didn’t say anything or look at her, the only acknowledgment of her presence being the steely look in his eye that came as soon as the door was shut.

 

Gwen bit her bottom lip anxiously, looking at him as she went to her side of the room. She wanted to talk to him, wanted to hear the kindness in his voice again. No matter how irritating he was, she always cared about him.

 

She missed him.

 

“David?” she asked after a long moment of suffocating silence between them.

 

David didn’t face her, the only indication of him listening was the slightest turn of his head in her direction, still not exactly facing her.

 

“I’m sorry for making you upset,” she said quietly. “I didn’t want to hurt you.”

 

David was silent for a long moment, not moving or speaking. Finally, he turned and to face her. His usually preppy green eyes looked more like steely emerald walls; hard and cold.

 

“You should be,” he said, voice low and dry. “I don’t appreciate being lied to, Gwen.”

 

“David, I swear I wasn’t lying about Jasper!” Gwen pleaded. “I would never lie to you about that.”

 

“You’re still sticking with that story?” David asked, his tone unreadable. “You apologize but throw it back at me?”

 

Gwen hesitated, her throat tight and hands trembling at her sides as she clenched and loosened her fists anxiously. Trembling from what, one could wonder. From fear? Maybe.

 

“It’s the truth,” she said softly, eyes downcast. “I’m sorry, but it’s the honest truth.”

 

David stood up, eyes narrowing into an angry, near hateful glare.

 

“Then you’re not sorry at all,” he growled. “But you will be when I prove you wrong.”

 

Gwen watched in heartache as he turned and left the cabin with a slam of the door, leaving her all alone once again.

 

The tightness in her throat proved too much to fight and the dam broke, warm tears welling up in Gwen’s lavender eyes and trailing down her cheeks. She furiously dried her tears on the back of her wrist but the stubborn tears kept falling.

 

_You never cry, especially over some dumb guy being a jerk!_  she mentally scorned herself. Well, one could suppose that changed fairly quickly.

 

Gwen plunked down on her bed, grabbing onto her pillow and burying her face in it. Her throat ached with restrained sobs, a few escaping her with a jerk of her shoulders. No matter how much she tried to stop the tears, they kept falling. Dammit, why couldn’t she stop crying?! This was unheard of! She was a Sanchez and abuela always said a Sanchez never cries over a man, unless he's dead. But here she was, weeping into her pillow like she was a lovesick teenager whose crush broke her heart.

 

Maybe because it was true?

 

Maybe because the one guy she cared about the most probably hated her and it felt like it was all her fault? Maybe because she felt responsible for damaging a relationship she held so close to her heart? Maybe hormones?

 

_He’s just going through the stages of grief,_  she reminded herself.  _He’ll come around eventually. He always does._

 

She really hoped he would.

 

Gwen lay back on her bed, grabbing her phone to pull up some werewolf fanfiction to make her feel better. Her eyes fell on her lock screen: a picture of her and David at the Sleepy Peak fair. David’s arm was wrapped snugly around her shoulders and that big, goofy smile on his face wrinkled the pine tree painted on his cheek. She was actually smiling in the picture a little, leaning into him while she held the camera up.

 

When would they be like that again?

 

Gwen held the screen to her heart, blinking back a fresh wave of tears.

 

“I’m sorry, David,” she mumbled into the empty, lonely room. “But you deserve to know the truth. Even if you hate me for it.”

 


	4. The Five Stages of Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David sets out to find the truth. He didn't think it would be this agonizing.

 

David could never hate Gwen. She was his friend. He cared about her, even more than he cared for the camp.

 

But he was hurt and angry.

 

He knew Jasper was alive! He knew it!

 

Gwen had to be lying. There was no other explanation. It was a horrible conclusion but it was the only possible explanation for her words. He couldn’t explain why she would lie to him like that. Maybe she was confused or something? If she really went to the camp, maybe the trauma did something to her memories, like in the movies?

 

Regardless of her reasoning, he’d prove it to her. He was determined to.

 

He had to do a lot of digging to get his answer. Now, he wished he didn’t.

 

The next day, as tired as he was from a sleepless night, he took his old laptop and drove to town to one of the only cafes in town. It was one of the few times he’d use his vacation days. Goodness, he thought he'd never use that one.

 

Before he left, he alerted Quartermaster of his absence, finding the cryptic groundskeeper at the Mess Hall. The old man grumbled a response and gestured for him to leave with a dismissive wave of his hook. Just as David had turned to leave, he paused at the door, his hand falling still against the wood.

 

“Quartermaster, do you remember what happened to Jasper when I was a kid?” David asked, glancing at the Quartermaster over his shoulder.

 

Quartermaster paused his breakfast preparations, looking at David with that one wary, dark eye.

 

“Don’t ask questions that you don’t want the answer to, boy,” he grumbled, turning back to the breakfast.

 

An anxious feeling creeped up David’s spine and settled into his chest heavily, making breathing difficult. He bid the Quartermaster a rough goodbye and left hastily to town. He didn’t want to know what the Quartermaster meant by that. 

 

It was an hour drive to town. He didn't even want to listen to the Farmer's Almanac! His mind was too addled. As soon as he settled into the cafe, he checked any social media site he could. MySpace, Facebook, Tinder, even the newer ones like Twitter and Instagram had gone through a thorough sweep! Nothing about Jasper anywhere!

 

The only thing he found was Jasper’s mother’s abandoned MySpace. The most recent activity it had was fourteen years ago.

 

Maybe he didn’t have any social media. He searched up any story he could find but due to Sleepy Peak’s small, practically forgotten population with very little internet access, there wasn’t anything on the web.

 

Peculiar. He’d at least expect something about what happened.

 

“Sir, would you like anything? The manager is getting a bit antsy.”

 

David jumped and offered the waitress a sheepish smile. “Oh, I’ll have an iced tea! Sorry if I’ve been looking shady or something.”

 

The waitress jotted down his order and smiled gratefully to him. “Excellent! Glad I won’t have to kick you out,” she said cheekily. “Don’t you worry about it, darling!”

 

“Can I ask you something?” David blurted out before he could stop himself.

 

The waitress looked at him in surprise but nodded. “What is it, dear?”

 

“Do you know anything about a guy named Jasper? Jasper Laurens? Or a bear attack about 14 years ago that involved a kid?”

 

The lady thought about it, tucking a lock of pink hair behind her ear.

 

“Oh yeah!” She exclaimed, snapping her fingers in realization. “I heard about that kid! Jasper was his name!”

 

“Do you know where he is?” David asked, perking up like a puppy.

 

The smile on her face slowly morphed into a frown of worry and sadness. She paused and her fingers palmed tentatively at her notepad.

 

“I-I’m sorry sir...” she said softly, voice devoid of any cheer she had held before. “That boy died fourteen years ago from that bear attack.”

 

A fresh wave of fear, heartbreak and kindling anger washed over David, his eyes wide with disbelief.

 

“That’s impossible, I-I saw him go home,” he explained, voice hoarse.

 

“I’m sorry sir but that’s the truth,” the waitress explained gently, resting a kind hand on his shoulder. “You must have confused him for another. Most of this town attended Jasper’s funeral, my family included. I was around 9 at the time. They couldn’t find the body so they set up a plaque in his memory at Sleepy Peak Cemetery. His poor mother moved away weeks after. Poor dear couldn’t bear to live in the same town without her baby boy.”

 

David had paled, eyes wide in horror as she spoke.

 

Oh God no...

 

No...no no no NO NO  _NO!_

 

_IT WAS'NT TRUE! HE WAS'NT WRONG!_

 

David scrambled to his feet, stumbling out of the restaurant on unsteady legs. His mind tuned out everything, the world sounding dull and muffled. He could faintly hear the waitress calling after him and he could barely see the worried glances of bystanders.

 

Somewhere in his hampered mind, a path was made. David didn’t realize it until he found himself at Sleepy Peak Cemetery. He stumbled among the gravestones, tripping over a couple in his near fearful daze.

 

This couldn’t be happening! Just some sick dream! He’d wake up and everything would be back to normal! He just had to wake up!

 

A dull pain laced through his arm, cloudy, faintly throbbing but still very  _there_. It grew in intensity, but still ever so faint. In his muted mind, he was dimly aware he had dragged his nails down his inner forearm in a weak attempt to wake himself up from this ungodly nightmare. The pain grew, more vivid and pulsing as his nails kept clawing.

 

He didn’t care.

 

He stumbled among the graves until he collapsed heavily, his arm throbbing and his jaw aching as it hit smooth stone. He wheezed a bit as the force of his fall knocked the air from his lungs. Through the pain, David’s hands palmed at the ground to find his bearings. His arms trembled as he pushed himself up, legs quaking in exhaustion.

 

He tried to recollect his surroundings. The cemetery’s cool grass against him, the air that was thick with an oddly beautiful mix of sadness and peace, the breeze that chilled his sweat slick skin, and the cool marble of a memorial plaque under his palms.

 

He rose shakily to his feet, mentally apologizing to the person resting six feet underneath for disturbing them and stiffly walking away. He tried to recollect his thoughts and control the agonizing pain that threatened to overwhelm him. he needed a distraction, a way to keep his mind off the grief. As he walked, he looked at each grave, the final resting places of beloved fathers, mothers, and a few dearly missed children. Why, the resolution was right in front of him. A conversation.

 

As he walked, he felt he became acquainted to each as he wished them all peace.

 

_I hope you rest well, Bethany._

_I know your parents still think of you, Ralph_

_I bet your kids will tell your grandchildren all about you, Tatín._

 

He walked along the dead, numb and bleak as if he belonged there, wandering till the sun began to set.

 

As cursed fate would have it, he found the truth among the tombstones.

 

Jasper Laurens

Beloved son and spirited child.

February 8, 1989- July 10, 1999

 

David stared at the stone, his throat aching as hoarse sobs bubbled up. His knees buckled and he dropped down, weight shifting as he propped himself up on his hands.

 

Every memory, everything was wrong. The truth hit him in waves as everything became clear. The Jasper he had apparently spent time with after the incident was nothing more than a figment of his imagination, an amalgamation of memories of the camper and hallucinations his mind created to cope with the loss.

 

Going on hikes, Jasper being afraid to go off the trail in fear of bears while David assured him everything was ok? Fake.

 

Playing pretend that they were on the A Team and saving the world? Fake.

 

Waving goodbye to Jasper as he stepped onto the bus, never to be seen again? _Fake_.

 

All a trick of the mind to help him deal with the gravity of what happened.

 

He felt sick to his stomach, insides coiling at the weight of his chaotic emotions. He lurched to his feet and stumbled to the nearest garbage can, retching into it. His hands gripped the sides so tight, they trembled and his knuckles bleached white.

 

As he finished heaving out his insides, not much considering he hadn’t eaten much within the past few days, he straightened up as he wept.

 

“Jasper, I’m so sorry,” David sobbed, hands clasping over his reddened face. “I’m so sorry!”

 

He found his way back to the memorial plaque, weeping and stiffly sitting in front of it cross legged.

 

“I’ve made a mess of everything, Jasp,” he said quietly. “I was so sure you were still here. So sure.”

 

No response from the tombstone.

 

“I wanted it to be true. That you were still alive. I wanted it so bad that I tricked myself into thinking it. I didn’t want to accept that you died. Not when it was my fault. I should have been faster, should have been more careful with our surroundings. It should have been me who fell and was mauled. Not you.”

 

There was no response, of course. There was no soul to speak to, no body resting beneath to listen.

 

He wanted someone to tell him it was gonna be ok, that he wasn’t alone but he pushed away the one person who would. Gwen...

 

_Oh Gwen... please forgive me._

 

“Jasp, I can’t change what happened no matter how much I want to,” he said softly. “Can’t change the fact that you’re gone, can’t change the years I spent believing fake memories, or the fact that I hurt someone that I love because I couldn’t accept the truth. But I can change now. I’m sorry for everything that happened but I’m gonna keep going. For both of us. I'll always miss you but I can keep going.

 

Of course, he didn’t expect a response but he did feel peace.

 

Acceptance. The hardest part of loss. Knowing that someone is gone but finding an odd sense of peace from it. Their suffering was over. Jasper was gone but David was still there. He had to move on from it. The hurt and sadness would always be there but that was okay.

 

He was okay.

 

David brushed himself off, taking a deep breath and giving the camp salute.

 

“Campe Diem, Jasper,” he said softly.

 

With that he turned and left. He had a sincere apology to make.

 

As he left, he could feel a familiar, warm smile on him and the faintest voice that was carried on the crisp, sunset wind.

 

“Campe Diem indeed, Davey.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you guess which late person David greets in the cemetery is named after my late relative?


	5. Bridging the Gap and Reforging Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David has to make things right. He just hopes Gwen could forgive him.

  

David had left long before Gwen woke up. He didn’t even make the bed before he left, the covers and pillow out of their usually neat places. He always made the bed. His phone and old laptop were missing to and the car was missing from its usual spot nestled between the trees.

 

The only person who had any clue about his whereabouts was Quartermaster.

 

“Boy went into town today, said somethin’ ‘bout needin’ a break,” Quartermaster grumbled, glancing at her from the toast he was making. “Boy needed it with how these rats act.”

 

Gwen nodded tiredly and decided to handle the activities that day. Just some craft camp to let the kids be creative. She wasn’t in the mood for anything strenuous or anxiety inducing.

 

Thankfully, the kids weren’t so rowdy that day, all of them a bit confused and silently worried over David’s disappearance. The mainly whispered between each other and actually did the work. Well, most of them did. Nikki seemed way more interested in using David's unexplained absence to cause mischief, almost running away to try and find a wolf pack to tame.

 

To Gwen’s surprise, Max stopped her.

 

“C’mon Nikki, the real fun is when David is around for you to torture,” Max told her, grabbing one of her overall straps to pull her back. “Pull the wild stunts when he’s here. I want a front row seat.”

 

That seemed to pacify Nikki for now, the wild child returning to her shoddy origami bear with a cheerful smile. Max cast Gwen a glance as he sat back down with Nikki.

 

“You owe me an extra pudding cup,” he muttered to her quietly as the kids cleaned up for the night.

 

Gwen smirked halfheartedly, giving him a thumbs-up. She didn’t have the heart to make some clever comeback. Not when David was driving her mad with worry and guilt. That and having to do everything herself had admittedly irritated her but she forced her temper under check. She didn’t want another fight with David if-  _when_  he came back.

 

David didn’t return until after nightfall, looking like he had been chewed up and spit out by the outside world. His face looked thin and pale, the dark bags under his eyes were prominent, clothes ragged, and his inner left forearm was laced with bright red marks, some already scabbing over. Clearly self inflicted and haphazardly self treated.

 

“David, where have you been?” Gwen asked, all her self control keeping her from crying out that phrase. As far as she knew, David was still convinced that she was a liar and showing too much concern might just spark up some ugly mood in him. She really couldn't take some back handed comment right now.

 

David’s broken eyes didn’t look up from the ground, only tiredly closing as he walked up to her. Gwen tensed up as he approached, taking a step back when he was an arms length away and her arms crossing tightly over her chest.

 

David’s eyes flickered with sadness when she moved away, his lips parting a bit as if he were about to say something. He must of rethought his words as he quickly shut his mouth and looked at his feet in shame.

 

He did this.

 

She was afraid of him because he lashed out at her like that. He hurt her. Just for telling him the truth.

 

Gwen looked everywhere but him before her voice finally spoke up.

 

“You look like you need some space. I’ll just... go somewhere else.”

 

Gwen walked around him, stiff and staring at the floor.

 

For one moment, David let his impulses guide him.

 

He grabbed her wrist as she walked away and yanked her back. Gwen yelped as she was pulled back to David, her eyes shutting as she prepared for the worst.

 

Instead of any pain as she had expected, David’s long arms had locked tightly around her waist and his face buried into her shoulder, trapping her back to chest. He hunkered over her, fingers and nose pressed closely into the fabric of her shirt.

 

Gwen’s heart throbbed against her ribs and she let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. Her hands dropped to her sides, fingers numb and slightly trembling.

 

“David?” Gwen asked quietly, staring directly ahead. “Are... Are you ok?”

 

“I-I am so so sorry,” David whispered into her shirt, his voice so quiet, she almost didn’t hear him.

 

Gwen glanced over at him, eyes wide. What has she just heard?

 

“Pardon?” she asked, voice a bit hoarse.

 

“I’m sorry,” David said, louder now. “I am so sorry, Gwen.”

 

Gwen looked over her shoulder at him, eyes wide. She wasn’t quite sure if she could honestly respond with “It’s ok.” It wasn’t ok. It hurt. A lot. The way he treated her cut deep, deeper than she thought possible. If it were any other scenario, she’d push him off with the same coldness exacted upon her and leave. That's what she always did if anyone treated her like that.

 

But she missed him. She missed him more than mere words could describe. Every moment he stayed away from her was another chunk torn from her heart, her chest aching every time he turned away. She didn’t want that to continue that. She wanted things back to the way they were meant to be: two overworked and underpaid camp counselors, one a camp man and another a trash TV junkie against a rowdy group of adrenaline addicted kids that both still cared about. Her misery in his absence overpowered her hurt.

 

Gwen didn’t see herself as the most forgiving person. She could hold a grudge for a while if she wanted to; she was still mad at her brother for crashing her car a year ago! But this time she was more than a little willing to bury the mistakes and quandary between them.

 

Gwen’s hands gently framed the strong arms around her stomach, her head ever so softly resting back against the broken man whose face was pressed into her shoulder.

 

“It’s ok, David. It’s ok.”

 

David’s grip on her tightened and he choked out a stifled sob, face moving to press into the crook of her shoulder.

 

“David, what happened while you were gone?” Gwen asked softly, glancing at him over her shoulder. Her palm ran gently over his forearm, soothing and loving, urging him to open up.

 

David buried his face deeper into the juncture where her neck met her shoulder, tears dampening her rich twine skin. He shuddered whispering sobs against her, a fresh wave of grief and shame washing over him.

 

“You were right. You were right about everything.”

 

“David, talk to me. What happened?”

 

David pulled away a bit, hands still framing her waist as he sobbed, his shoulders quaking. Gwen turned in his grasp to face him, hands resting against his thin upper arms. Odd how such skinny, unassuming arms could be so inhumanly strong. Strong yet wonderfully kind.

 

She was silently joyful that she finally felt safe with him once again.

 

Tears graced down David’s cheeks, his face red and blotchy from his laments. Surprising to both parties, especially Gwen, her hand impulsively rose from its perch on his thin bicep to brush away his teardrops with gentle fingertips.

 

David paused in his surprise and tremblingly smiled at the gesture despite his heart ache. He leaned his cheek into her palm, the redness in his cheeks spreading just a bit and he huffed a shuddering, teary breath.

 

“You want to talk?” Gwen asked softly, blinking up at him. “If not, we can just save it till tomorrow. I’ll handle breakfast and the first set of activities. You don’t have to-“

 

“N-No,” he mumbled. “I do want to talk. I- I need to.”

 

Gwen attempted to pull him to his bed so he could sit but his arms tightened around her in a nonverbal denial.

 

“You were telling the truth,” David said quietly. “You told me the honest to God truth and I lashed out because I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe that my best friend from my childhood is dead. I couldn’t, not when I felt responsible for what happened to him. So I just assumed you were lying to me because you were so adamant about it. I’m sorry. I should have known better. I should have known  _you_  better.”

 

Gwen gnawed her bottom lip, glancing away. “Well, I’m not always the most honest person,” she joked weakly, hoping to make light of the situation. "Besides, your memories about the event were all because of trauma. It's not like you knew."

 

David didn’t seem to approve.

 

“I should have trusted you,” he mumbled. “Would have saved me a lot of trouble. I went to the diner in town and searched everywhere on the web, every social media website, every nearby news article. I couldn’t find anything about Jasper. I asked the waitress if she knew anything about Jasper.”

 

Gwen bit her lip. Peggy, the waitress and an old friend of hers had lived in Sleepy Peak all her life and knew everyone. Of course she’d hear about what happened and tell David the honest truth.

 

“She told you the same thing I did?”

 

David nodded solemnly.

 

“She told me he died,” David said quietly. “They didn’t even find the body. His poor mother left shortly after his death.”

 

Gwen nodded. She hadn’t been able to attend the funeral herself. Her parents moved to a nearby town and Peggy wrote to her about it. Good ol’ Peggy. 

 

David’s fingers curled a bit more into her shirt. “I just couldn’t handle all the emotions going through my mind,” he mumbled quietly. “I ran out of there, left everything I brought, and managed to find my way to Sleepy Peak Cemetery.” David’s voice broke at the mention of the final resting place of many of Sleepy Peaks forefathers.

 

“I found his grave there.”

 

Gwen’s hand returned to his cheeks to wipe away a fresh wave of tears, fingers brushing the tears dry. He began to sob once again, weeping harder than before. His shoulders shook and he pulled her to his chest, afraid he’d collapse if he wasn’t close enough. Gwen’s arms wrapped  under his arms and around his chest, practically holding the grieving man up.

 

“Shh, It’s ok, it’s ok,” she soothed, hand stroking his back. “It’ll be alright.”

 

David’s sobs died down a little, breath shuddering as he slowly but surely stopped. He needed that. To be told things would be alright because frankly, he couldn’t be very positive right now.

 

“Hey, let’s lay you down for a bit,” Gwen offered, pulling away a bit to look him in the eyes. “You're exhausted and you need rest. I'll handle the morning activities."

 

David nodded tiredly, green eyes pink with tears and puffy. The sleepless night from before was finally catching up to him. He looked like he could be knocked down with a gentle push and he’d have no strength to get up again. Gwen was mildly aware at the ever so slight tightening of her grip around him.

 

"I really owe you one, Gwen," he mumbled softly, yawning a bit. "For taking care of the campers when I wasn't here. And for caring for me."

 

"Handle the laundry this weekend, buy me some ice cream and we'll call it even," Gwen commented as she tugged him over to his bed, the exhausted man following this time. He shuffled his feet sluggishly as he dragged himself over, silently grateful for Gwen’s guidance. He needed it now more than ever.

 

Gwen helped him lie back, David kicking his shoes off exhaustedly. His tiny log of wood that he slept with wasn’t in his bed, probably underneath it or Muack had taken it to chew on it for a bit again. Gwen wouldn’t let him keep the windows open at night following an unpleasant encounter with a cranky wolf spider, so she let him find a piece of the forest to bring in, one without any nasty critters living inside.

 

Seems like she was always watching out for him, one way or another.

 

He didn’t mind the absence of Logger this time. He needed the company of another person today. People are a lot warmer to hug than logs, after all.

 

Gwen had sat back on the edge of the bed, hand resting on David’s arm comfortingly. She stood up to fetch her laptop from the desk but a sudden, firm grip around her wrist stopped her. She looked back questioningly at David, brow lifting up. His eyes were wide and soft, blinking at her.

 

“Stay. Please, just stay.”

 

Gwen’s eyes widened a bit in surprise. Guess left over ice cream and Bob Ross wasn’t enough. She never considered herself to be the most affectionate person. It wasn’t really a Sanchez thing. But the pleading look in David’s teary eyes tugged at her heart. Maybe for just a minute, she’d put being a Sanchez on hold.

 

With a small sigh, she sat back down on the bed. David gently tugged her closer, arms open to be held.

 

_Oh_.

 

Gwen awkwardly lay down on her back, unused to this much affection from anyone that wasn’t her mom. But she couldn’t say she was against it; it was an unusually nice change, one she secretly welcomed.

 

David flipped onto his side to cling to her, his warm arms snug around her waist. His cheek pressed against her collarbone and his head nestled closely under her chin. Gwen’s hands gently framed his shoulders, allowing him the unusually close proximity.

 

“Is this ok with you?” he asked tentatively, curling closer against her and his gangly legs entangling with hers in a full body hug.

 

“Yeah, it’s ok,” Gwen confirmed through her internal screamfest, fingers soothingly carding through his close cropped hair and desperately trying to force down the blush in blooming across her cheeks. “I don’t mind.”

 

David closed his eyes tiredly. “I’m so sorry about the way I’ve been acting.”

 

“I already told you that everything is ok,” Gwen hushed him gently, hand in his hair brushing little figures. “We’re ok now.”

 

“How come you never told me you went to camp?” David asked, voice muffled with exhaustion.

 

“Didn’t enjoy it,” Gwen said simply. “I didn’t like camp to begin with and after Jasper... passed away, I left camp. It’s not a good memory. Besides, knowing you, you’d probably chatter my ear off trying to connect with me over my time as a camper in this hellhole.”

 

“Rude,” David huffed.

 

Gwen snickered a bit.

 

“Yeah, and you’re exhausted,” she said. “Just get some rest. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

 

David nodded against her, shifting to fumble for the covers. Gwen helped him pull the blanket over his shoulder, smoothing it out a bit. Guess she'd scoot over to her own bed later.

 

“Gwen?”

 

“What, David?”

 

“Thank you. For staying and for caring enough to me the truth.”

 

Warmth bloomed across Gwen’s face and dusting her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. A small smile touched her lips and she brushed his hair back, barely restraining herself from pressing an impulsive kiss to his forehead.

 

“Get some sleep, camp man.”


	6. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gwen and David visit an old friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dedicated to all my wonderful readers and commentators!

 

David lead Gwen through the stone markers of final rest, actually smiling a bit, peaceful and warm. His fingers were lovingly entwined with hers, pausing the two person parade every once in a while to cast her a sweet grin as he chattered on and on. Gwen only half listened to David’s jabbering, occupied with looking among the tombstones for the person she and David came to see. Well, he caught her full attention when he lost track of his volume, making her wince a bit and tightening her grip on the bouquet in her hand free from his grasp.

 

“-And I told him that it was impossible to fit ten donuts in his mouth and Nurf just decided to prove his point by shoving all the donuts in!”- he laughs that laugh of his that sounds like music and sunshine- “Good thing I remembered the Heimlich maneuver! Glad we took those clas-”

 

Gwen hushed him with a gentle but firm hand over his mouth. David blinked and looked down at her hand silencing him and back to her. She could feel him grin sheepishly under her palm and his pretty green eyes twinkled.

 

“Too loud?” he asked, voice muffled by her hand.

 

Gwen smirked a bit, nodding. “Yeah, in case you haven’t noticed, it’s called a final resting place for a reason.”

 

She released him and he gave her a thumbs up before she laced their fingers together again.

 

“Read you loud and clear, Gwen,” he said brightly, his voice dropping to a slight whisper.

 

Gwen rolled her eyes with a small grin. What a goofball he could be.

 

David continued to lead her through the cemetery before stopping abruptly, wrapping his arm around Gwen’s waist as they stopped in front of the one they were looking for. Gwen smiled at the familiar name on the plaque on the floor.

 

“Hey, Jasp,” she murmured. “It’s good to see you again.”

 

David smiled an odd mix of sadness and warm, silent joy. His arms tightened warmly around her and he beamed down at the stone marker.

 

“I visit him as often as I can and now that camp is over for the year, you and I can visit more often together,” David said softly, kissing her cheek.

 

Gwen smiled a bit, leaning against David as she looked down at the grave.

 

_“C’mon, GG!”_

_“Wait up, Jasp! You know I’m not a fast runner!”_

_“Well, hurry up! Those row boats aren’t going to tow themselves and I might get lost without you! I need a navigator after all!”_

 

Gwen blinked back tears and laid the bouquet along the stone, touching the name engraved in the polished marble with gentle fingertips.

 

“You were the best skipper to sail the lake buddy,” she murmured to the memorial despite knowing there was no body beneath to receive her words. “I hope you’re at peace, wherever you are.”

 

David watched over Gwen silently, smiling tenderly at her. She straightened up, trying to hold back tears and David gently tugged her into a soft embrace. Her head rested securely against his shoulder, cheek nestling into his shirt as his warm arms draped around her. David's heart broke a little in his chest as she silently cried.

 

“I bet he would be very proud of how far you’ve gotten,” he whispered softly into her ear. "That'd make two of us."

 

Gwen nodded against him and David wiped away her runaway tears when she slowly pulled away, the same tenderness she had for him a few months ago now returning in each stroke of his fingers. He paused mid brush as his hands framed her cheeks and gently pulled her forward to kiss her with featherweight softness.

 

“We have to go pick up Max from school now,” he murmured as he reluctantly pulled away, his forehead bumping to hers.

 

Gwen nodded in his palms and his hands dropped from her face to encircle her waist.

 

“See you later, Jasper,” David bid kindly, giving the camp salute.

 

“Bye, Jasper,” Gwen said softly. “I can't wait till I see you again.”

 

After taking a few seconds to check if Gwen was ok, David slowly led her away from the tombstone. He smiled encouragingly to her and he kept his arm around her waist as they walked, his grip significantly tighter and closer. 

 

“What were you saying about Nurf?” Gwen asked, glancing to her boyfriend.

 

David lit up and he enthusiastically continued his story, once again completely forgetting his volume control. Gwen didn’t mind at all this time and listened to every word he said as he recalled his memories.

 

Just between the trees, a boy watched the two weave their way through the cemetery with a translucent smile on his face.

 

“Thank you both,” he murmured softly. “Thank you for not forgetting my story, Davey. Thank you for helping him remember, GG. We'll meet again, I'm sure. One day. Take your time.”

 

He turned his back and smiled to himself. With a weary, relieved sigh, he disappeared with a soft glow of blue.

 

The heavy air of pain and sadness on Spooky Island lifted into a feeling of peace.

 

Then it was finally, perfectly still.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's the end of Memories Lie! 
> 
> I loved this writing this story and am pleased to announce that I'm currently working on a new story about Gwen and David based off of the most recent episode Something's Fishy and a funny twist of the supernatural. Keep your eyes out for "Who's a Good Boy?"

**Author's Note:**

> Ok big thing: I haven’t seen the newest episode Dial M for Jasper. I wrote this before it came out and haven’t even seen it.
> 
> False Memory Syndrome, or FMS is a real issue and affects people differently. For more information, see www.fmsfonline.org


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